Church & Community
Sermons, articles, and devotionals from Christchurch Miami on church & community — what the Bible says, and how to live it.
10 resources
What About Hypocrisy? - Luke 18:9-14
What about the hypocrites in the church — and what if one of them is you? Elder Rick Closius on the Pharisee, the tax collector, and the grace that humbles us, from Luke 18:9-14.
The Real Saint Patrick*
Patrick wasn't Irish, and he never chased snakes out of Ireland. He was a British teen kidnapped into slavery who returned as a missionary to his former captors. Here is his real story.
Black History Month
You know Frederick Douglass and MLK. But do you know Wentworth Cheswell, the first Black American elected to office, or Lemuel Haynes, the first Black pastor of a white congregation in America?
Thoughts on Martin Luther King Jr.'s “Letter From A Birmingham Jail”
Every MLK Day, Pastor Kent Keller revisits King's 1963 Letter from a Birmingham Jail — its case for just and unjust laws, and its convicting charge that silence from good people is itself a sin.
Winter Solstice
Pastor Kent admits he hates how short December days are — until he remembers what's coming. Here's how the winter solstice, and John 3:30, both point to the same quiet promise: the light always returns.
Top Ten Ways the Reformation Changed the World
Sola Scriptura was the "time bomb" that set off the Protestant Reformation. Here are ten ways it reshaped education, science, government, and the world you live in today.
Halloween
Halloween carries two histories — a Christian one (All Saints' Eve) and a pagan one (Samhain) — never fully separated. Here's the real origin, and how to mark the night with faith instead of fear.
Building a Great Church - Acts 2:42-47
**Building a Great Church: Lessons from Acts 2:42-47**
Catholic vs. Protestant: What's the Difference?
If Catholics and Protestants both believe in Jesus, why are there different churches — and does it matter? A pastor's fair, clear look at the real dividing line: authority.
How to Study the Bible
A friend once asked how to study the Bible, especially its hardest passages. Pastor Kent Keller shares ten practical principles, from choosing a translation to reading every page through grace.